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Plane Spotting at Pearson Airport 101

"Plane spotting" is an odd hobby, and most certainly isn't for everyone. But those that do it are really into it and seem to enjoy themselves immensely. I learned this first hand the other day when on a whim I decided to take a curiosity-induced drive around the perimeter of Toronto's Pearson International Airport and see what I could learn about the phenomenon that is plane spotting.

After making my way around more than half of the airport, I pulled up to the Wendy's at Airport Rd. & Orlando Dr. because I noticed a queue of twinkling lights in the distance - an indication that the nearby runway was being used for landings (it wasn't until later that I learned that this particular runway is Pearson's longest at 3.3km). I snagged my camera bag, and took a walk around. It didn't take long to have my first encounter with a plane-spotter...

The first fellow I met was wearing a jacket with the words "Airport Watch" written boldly across the back. "Are you watching the planes?" I asked. "Yup," he responded courtly, as he tuned his walkie-talkie-like device and looked up into the sky before turning to walk away. Clearly he wasn't in the mood to talk to me, a newcomer to the scene. I made my way directly under the landing path, and snapped a few photos.

Across the street, on the chain link fence that separated public from private property, a sign reminded me to stay on my side of the fence. It made me think about security, and for a moment I considered packing up and going home rather than facing the potential consequences of meeting airport security staff who might think I'm a terrorist plotting some sort of evil scheme. That's when I met Stephan, a younger guy from Nova Scotia who (unlike the first plane-spotter I spotted) was smiling and approachable.

From his ears, he pulled out his headphone buds. At first I thought he was listening to music, but from his pocket, he pulled out his radio. "What are you listening to?" I asked. "The air traffic control tower, and the planes on approach, which are on different frequencies," he explained. "This is a cheaper one. You can pick one up at Radio Shack."

From his other pocket he then pulled out a piece of paper. As he unfolded it, he watched the horizon ahead of us. "A few big ones are coming soon. If you stick around between 3pm and 4pm you'll likely to see this British Airways 747." His info was from the internet, and detailed. The airlines, the type of planes, and their projected arrival times were all listed, along with a list of radio frequencies he could tap into to listen to the communications between the pilots and controllers.

A few mid-sized Airbuses came in. It's rather amazing how low the planes are at this point.

Stephan was pretty sure that gigantic 747 would be arriving soon, and advised that I join him in moving off to the side to get a better view. "It's too big for the camera to stay here," he suggested.

He also told me a little about plane-spotter photography, and pointed me to a super cool web site for submitting and viewing the best of the best. "You've got zoom," he said, nodding to my camera. "Try to capture the exact moment the tires hit the ground and the smoke shoots out."

Then came the moment we'd been waiting for - the arrival of the massive British Airways 747. As it approached I marvelled at just how HUGE it was. I backed up a little further. I wanted to include my new friend Stephan (who'd come all the way from the downtown core by public transit to see this and taken me under his wing for the experience) in the frame.

Here's the moment in all its glory:

Despite shooting in rapid succession at a wide angle, I couldn't even fit the plane in the frame!

So there you have it... plane spotting at Pearson 101. It's not likely that I'll take up this rather geeky, somewhat strange hobby. But admittedly, it was a lot of fun. Had I been alone, and not had the pleasure of meeting my teacher Stephan, I don't think I'd have enjoyed myself nearly as much. Oh, and to see another (much larger format) view of a massive plane we managed to catch please check out this snap. Crazy eh?

Discussion

90 Comments

If you want to bag the guppy I suggest checking the arrival/departures for the Antonov AN-124 that makes weekly visits to Pearson. It is HUGE and there's no mistaking the noise it makes when taking off.

I have seen suggestions (which I can see the point of) that spotters are good for security as they tend to notice people who are checking out points of entry to the airfield rather than the planes, etc. Some airports actually enlist spotters to help in this regard.

Unfortunately YYZ is not one of the airports where security tends to view spotters as a positive, people I know who spot report being regularily hassled by the Peel Regional Police airport detail, they seem to leave folks alone at the Wendy's but will tend to show up and suggest you move along if you stop anywhere else along the perimeter fence.

Don't be fooled people. J loved airplanes as a child and I know he has experienced this "phenomenon" before although perhaps not to this extent. Geek!

I have to add that it is NOT a "geek" experience. It's an excellent way to spend time, not only when you don't know what else to do with your time but also as a Sunday afternoon kinda' thing especially experiencing it with someone who has never done it before. It is exciting and loud and quick. A small but free rush if you will. Try it once if you haven't already.

Great write-up, but I'd like more information about Stephan's list.
I found his frequency information here:http://www.canairradio.com/yyz.html
But I can't find his arrival information. Does anyone know where he got that from?
Thanks!

Jerrod, Fantastic pics. Really enjoyed viewing them. I haven't been plane spotting in a couple of years, and I do miss it. Still have my scanners and listen from home every now and then. Also live down by the lake and when the winds are right, we're on the flight path. Hope to get back to the airport soon.

I googled plane-spotting in Toronto and came across your page. I did not think that plane-spotting was possible here in toronto given the inter-web of roads and highways that surround it! its certainly confusing. but i must say ure pictures are amazing and beautiful! I will surely take up the opportunity of visiting Airport & Orlando in the near future!!!

This is a great posting of your experience. I started plane spotting this summber and it has quickly turned into an addiction. I too have tried talking to the guy in the plaid and cap only to receive a cold response. Maybe I'll see you around the airport...cheers! BTW Great pics.

I have moved to mississauga in august 2008 from surrey, bc. I have visited Vancouver International many times with my fiancee and loved it. I am glad I found this place so we can actually go and enjoy planee spotting some more.

pearson might not be used by CIA rendition-torture flights, but you never know til you photo one. ie---

In Spain, town planner Joseph Manchado is part of a small group who gather with their long lenses and foil-wrapped sandwiches at Majorca's Son Sant Joan airport.

In January last year Mr Manchado saw a Boeing 737 on the airport tarmac. He pressed his camera shutter button while speculating idly that some US millionaire was in town. Then he put the picture of the Boeing (tail fin number N313P) on airliners.net, and forgot about it.

Within a few days Mr Manchado starting getting strange calls and emails. ...Months later, he got a call from Germany's ZDF television. A man called Khalid El-Masri had come to them claiming he had been kidnapped by the CIA from Macedonia, bundled onto a plane and taken off to a prison many hours away. Several months later, after allegedly being tortured, he was flown back and dropped in Albania.

One of the planes thought to be involved was one Mr Manchado had photographed. It was believed that it had flown on to Macedonia that very same day. With the photo in their hand, ZDF reporters were able to persuade Skopje flight control to give them a printout of the flight plan. The aircraft had gone from Palma to Skopje and from there to Baghdad and Kabul. Mr El-Masri's story, convincingly told but difficult to believe, fitted.

I'm doing some spotting on June 5th to see if I can't catch a glimpse of the A380 that afternoon. His Gate arrival time is scheduled for 3:45 local time so I imagine he'll probably land around 3:30 or just after..give him about 10 minutes taxi time..We're going to park at the Petro Canada station at runway 23, so hopefully he uses that approach that day. What's a good place to park if they're using 24L/R, 05?

My blog looks at how people, corporations and government agencies work to get that extra 5 minutes of fame over and above the 15 minutes given them by Andy Warhol. In the blog posting listed below I look at how the GTAA reached out to yyz plane spotters and invited them inside the fence to watch the arrival of the world's largest aircraft. The invite was nice, it was also an example of a corporation paying attention to Social Media.
Check it Out at:

I'm curious if any of the regular planespotters at YYZ know of a good site that might track plane registration numbers? I have a big gap in my flight memory of nearly 50 flights to YYZ as ACARS doesn't seem to do a good job with Pearson flights + only goes back to 2006. Any thoughts would be great.

I stopped by at Wendys last week for lunch around 1am and I happened to see the huge 4 engine Emirates plane land, I was reading an article on that plane in the Toronto star while back and the first class ticket costs around $15000 and you have access to shower facilities on the plane, spa services, as well as premium liquor at the international bar located inside the first class area. It looked newer and shinier on the outside than the Air Canada planes that normally take off from Pearson.

By the way, I did see a Peel region cop by the fence area telling all the people parked there to move their cars.

I'm trying to find out what I have to type into Google to get the print out of the aircraft, projected time of arrival at Pearson International airport , Toronto, and radio frequencies depicted in the photo of a guy named Stephen who (in the photo) shows a list on paper of the above he is holding. I have been an airplane spotter, as well as a priovate pilot for many years. The wife and I always go to the Wendy restaurant at the end of Pearson's runway 23 (the longest one) but also need to find out who to phone to find out which are the landing runways in use for a particular day. Today (Saturday Jan 9th is clear blue (cloudless)so we're off to plane spot as usual. Looking forward to a reply with the above info.

You can get all that info off of flightaware or flightstats. As for frequencies just print off the approach charts for each runway, as they should be listed on there. To find out which runway, generally speaking and plane will land against a prevailing wind. I'm assuming you know that being a piot yourself. Otherwise, tune into approach control and listen for the approved approach runway that day.

I found a website for anyone interested, http://www.liveatc.net/feedindex.php?type=canada, where you can listen to the Toronto ATC on a live feed. Also depending on the winds I found another Wendys on Dixie where they land on 05. You have to find a spot down where the strobes are. Also if anyone knows of a website with a live cam or something please let me know. I don't get to Toronto to often but I do like watching the planes.

I think the best place we should all go is Nevada.The area around Groom Lake is a "Hot Bed" for Strange Craft that seem to defy gravity...Why do they need a 23,000 foot runway??? Pearson's longest is #5 @ 11,125 Ft.All of the REAL HOT STUFF is under ground,however check out..."Google Earth AREA-51 NEVADA." it is amazing...even a baseball diamond. Can you spot the two B-737's and F-15's??? Take Care.Country Style Has great donuts---needs better coffee.

I'm wondering why Wendy's is the only business establishment to (accidentally) cash in on the plane spotting business. In Kaohsiung, Taiwan, there are at least a half-dozen "plane spotting cafes" that serve food and drink, overlooking the airport runway.

Great blog Jerrold. Looks like you were on Airport road taking pictures of runway 23 (Took me a little digging to find out). I work across the airport from there. Watching planes land on runway 5 is good, but not close enough.

If anyone here is a serious plane spotter and likes to vacation in the Caribbean, vist St. Maartin (Dutch side) on Maho Beach. I stayed at the Maho Beach Hotel and Casino. Best plane spotting you will ever see. Nothing like a 747 100' over your head. It's fairly expensive there, but well worth the experience. If you have visited airliners.net, you will notice a ton of pictures come from that beach.

Have been to the location near Wendy's and Petrocan twice now and can confirm it is an excellent place to see planes landing. Lots of 737s, Q-400s, Dash 8s, a few 767s, but no 747s on the two days I was there. No matter, great planespotting location regardless of the aircraft type landing.

Does anyone have any info regarding A380's at Pearson?.. Other then the scheduled landing etc. I know M,W,F afternoon..but more importantly i have only seen photo/video of this plane landing in the east (airport road landing strip).. i went today to view it, but it already landed.. was at North Lounge off of Derry Rd already... where to go to better the odds of seeing it... :) providing it is not early..or i'm late... thanks!!

My boyfriend LOVES plane spotting and was disappointed that his old rooftop parking lot isn't there anymore (he hasn't checked it out in 6-7 years) and his birthday is this Sun (Jul 14th) so I'm hoping to surprise him with a new location (hoping the Wendy's/Petro Canada area will be good). My only issue is that I can't find a flight schedule to find out which flights will be landing on Sunday, can anyone help me find this? I want to plan it so that I get there for the best time of day. Let me know please :)

I go to the airport every Saturday, on holiday mon and when I'm on vacation during the summer I take my bike with me on the bus so I go right around the airport because I don't know what side they are landing on got my scanner, camera and camcorder I always meet people its always a fun day get lots of sun

A longtime great hobby/pastime, I am from Hamilton,my lady is from Brampton. We enjoy a day at a lot on Davand Dr., after picking up a coffee at a nearby Timmies, or bring a lunch, hoping to see the elusive B.A. 747, OR the Air Emmerites jumbo. How would I obtain a schedule for any certain day, for landings over Dixie Rd. Thank you - Vince.

From all the spots I have been to so far, this one is the best but has the least frequent arrivals. If you want to see arrivals in rapid succession, go to the runways down at the Hooters on Carlingview, maybe have a beer and see some tits while you're at it.

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